


Muscle to muscle and toe to toe

by heryellowcup



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Sports, Boxing, F/F, Kara Danvers Has a Crush on Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers is a personal trainer, Kara and Lena working out together, Kara is such a cutie in this one, Krypto makes an appearance, Minor Sanvers, Mutual Pining, Puppy Kara Danvers, Sara Lance is a tease and a pain in the ass, all of their friends are teasing little shits, famous!Lena, flustered kara, she always is, so is Maggie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-24 00:05:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15618012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heryellowcup/pseuds/heryellowcup
Summary: "What rumors?" Kara asks, fails miserably at trying to sound anywhere close to being calm and collected. She has worked with enough celebrities to know that rumors aren't something to put a lot of trust into, but there have been a lot about Lena Luthor in the past. And while she believes most of them to be born out of nowhere and to be utterly wrong, some others make her feel a certain kind of way. It's, again, embarrassing, how badly she wants some of them to be true."She might play a very significant role in some upcoming superhero movie." Kara doesn't understand the discrete subtext of the statement, Alex can tell, doesn't get what exactly she is trying to convey here. Alex regards her with a pointed eyebrow before she keeps talking, more intently this time. "She'll most likely have to hit the gym for that."Or, Kara is a personal trainer. Lena is an actress who is required to buff up for a new role. When their paths cross and they end up working together, the mutual attraction is almost immediate.





	Muscle to muscle and toe to toe

**Author's Note:**

> I just had to indulge in this headcanon, guys! 
> 
> Kara Danvers as a personal trainer has the potential to be so fucking hot, and yet I'm here making this as fluffy and cute as possible. Seriously, this is so soft. 
> 
> All mistakes are mine (as much as I'd like to blame my beta reader, she's doing an amazing job). 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

"Didn't you say we were going to start slow?" Sara groans exasperatedly, gives up on trying to lift the heavy weight above her in order to brush some sweat stained strands of hair out of her face. Eyeing Kara with a glare and seeing that she's her usual, happy self, Sara notes that her heavy panting and the way she can barely move probably doesn't add to make her seem any more intimidating. 

"We are," is all Kara offers as a reply, trying to stop a bright, mischievous smile from blossoming on her lips. She's not about to go soft on Sara simply because she hasn't been to the gym in a while, because she is a friend, rather than just another celebrity that the blonde works with on a daily basis. Not any softer than she already is, anyways, that carefree smile and her steady enthusiasm an ever present force in any of her relationships, whether they be friendly or strictly professional. 

She takes pity on the other woman, still, hands her a bottle of water with yet another smile. It's not what Sara needs, exactly, not a long break or the insane amount of food that she is craving, but she supposes it will do for now and takes it with a playful roll of her eyes. 

"Thanks, sweetie," she grins before she takes a long sip, in an unnecessary suggestive fashion. Kara doesn't want to blush because of it, but it's already creeping up her neck despite Sara always being this flirty, this annoying. Always. 

"Stop trying to distract and get back to lifting." Kara grumbles, scratching the back of her neck in a flustered gesture. Sara always manages to get to her, the lack of feelings between the two of them not at all deteriorating how incredibly charming she can be. 

"What's in it for me?" Eyebrows raised and teasing smirk planted firmly on her lips, Sara starts yet another attempt of trying to distract Kara. 

"Uhh, strong arms and a lot of stamina?" Kara is endearingly unaware of the possible innuendo that her words hold so clearly, but Sara is quick to point it out, never missing an opportunity to tease.

"I bet you have a lot of stamina as well," Sara hums, Kara blushes and understands. Her cheeks rosy and the groan already leaving her mouth, she barely listens to the other woman's following words. "Maybe we should test that, huh?" 

Kara is scrambling for an appropriate response, the words coming out her mouth resembling nervous stutters more than anything, much to Sara's amusement, when Maggie enters the studio as exactly the hero the blonde needs her to be, impossible to be thrown off guard and incredibly caustic. 

"Stop flirting with my girlfriend's sister or I'll tell Kendra," she muses dryly, a hint of a smirk grazing her lips, her eyes twinkling devilishly. She's too much like Sara, in many regards, and she'd probably join in on the teasing immediately, if it wasn't for the streak of protectiveness she felt over the adorably innocent blonde. 

It's not surprising, when Sara simply laughs in response, her eyes meeting Kara's widened ones as she speaks hoarsely. "Who says Kendra doesn't know already? Who says she doesn't enjoy the thought of it just as much as I do?" 

The sheer bluntness of the statement almost causes Kara to choke on her own spit, causes Maggie to finally lose her inhibition. The loud chuckle leaves her lips involuntarily, along with an amused shake of her head. She's about to chastise Sara once more when an unsuspecting Alex joins them, Kara's dog in tow and completely unaware of the mindless teasing her sister has to endure. Though she can certainly guess, the flush adorning Kara's face and the way she's tightly squeezing her eyes shut easily giving it all away. 

The auburn-haired woman wants to ask who is responsible for it this time, but the words die in her throat when she spots Sara. Of course. Sara with that naughty smile on her lips, greeting Alex with a playful nod and her last name. 

And as thankful as Kara is for Alex’s sudden arrival, she also believes it to be a bad time, considering Maggie has just arrived for a workout session, probably willing to stay for hours on end, like she usually does. Not that Alex minds all that much. Even now she is admiring her girlfriend in a way that is nothing but gross, or so Kara thinks, Maggie wearing nothing but a sports bra and shorts. It's not an unusual attire around the place, but Kara wants to curse both of them for turning it into something so inappropriate, without even meaning to.

Just like the kiss they share, then, Sara's teasing and Alex's need to defend her sister, in whatever way, out of the window as soon as Maggie pulls her closer. It's too sweet, too long, and Kara can already feel herself wanting to screw her eyes shut once more. She takes Krypto instead, crouches down to distract herself with cuddling him, accepting all of his dog kisses. It's only when she looks up and sees that her sister and Maggie are still going at it, that Sara is watching them in a naughty and almost predatory, yet playful, way, that she finally buries her face in the dog's thick fur, shields his eyes with her own hands. 

"Krypto and I do not need to see this!!" she whines, drawing loud, affectionate laughs out of all of them. 

"You're such a dork," Alex drawls in faux annoyance, accompanied by an eyeroll. Though, to ensure Kara's sanity, she pulls away nonetheless. 

They all believe this to be the end of it. It's been enough teasing, and Kara will simply take Krypto and go on a walk with him. Alex will probably join her, only after torturing Kara with a painfully sweet departure from her wanting girlfriend, and they'll never talk about any of this ever again. 

But the equation can't get solved as easily when Sara is still with them, lets out another insanely inappropriate comment that all of them could have gone without. She can be glad that they're all friends, really, that all of them know not to take her seriously, or Alex's fist would have met her face more than once already. Kara's sure of that. So is Maggie. 

"Wrong, she's a dilf." 

It's Maggie who sacrifices herself and asks, with a loud sigh, knowing how painful the explanation is going to be. "I shudder to ask. A what, now?"

Sara's grin is plain evil as she replies, her provocative answer directed towards Alex. "A dork I'd like to fuck, of course." 

And then she runs. She runs and grabs her clothes in the process of doing so, her loud laugh still audible in what seems to be the whole building as she flees from Alex, who is now being restrained by a smirking Maggie. 

"That's my sister, asshole!!!"

//

It's merely a few minutes later that Kara and Alex are happily strolling through their local park, Krypto by their side and ever exploring. The blonde's cheeks are still adorned with a rosy tint, thanks to Sara's earlier advances, but the sharp afternoon air aids to calm her racing heart. Though there hangs something else in there, too, and Kara can feel it, knows it will settle on the tip of Alex's tongue soon enough. In the midst of things, she starts to think that perhaps Alex had been early on purpose, dismissing the opportunity of spending time with her girlfriend in order to talk about whatever's bothering her. 

Though when she finally does voice it, it almost sounds unimportant. Kara suspects that the underlying nonchalance in Alex's words is intentional, but still she's only vaguely aware of how insignificant they truly are, how right her sister's bland choice of emphasization is. 

"Did you hear the rumors yet?" A simple question that doesn't mean anything. It's the name that makes all the difference for Kara, then. "The ones regarding Lena Luthor?"

It's almost embarrassing, how quickly she reaches into her pocket to get her phone. How she doesn't even have to search for Lena because, really, her account is the only one that the blonde religiously searches for. Daily, perhaps. It's not a crush, exactly, the way she feels about the actress, but she simply does not understand how anyone could not see how incredibly talented she is. How anyone could not admire her, how anyone could look at her without that giddy feeling taking over, without butterflies settling low in their stomach, making it impossible not to smile. To feel better, immediately. Dark hair and green eyes painting a picture of absolute perfection. Topped with a personality that, while Kara can't be sure, seems to only add to said perfection. It's painfully cheesy, and Alex's knowing smirk tells Kara how insanely obvious she must be. Pining like this, like a teenage girl who is absolutely and thoroughly smitten. 

Maybe it is a crush, after all. 

"What rumors?" she asks, fails miserably at trying to sound anywhere close to being calm and collected. She has worked with enough celebrities to know that rumors aren't something to put a lot of trust into, but there have been a lot about Lena Luthor in the past. And while she believes most of them to be born out of nowhere and to be utterly wrong, some others make her feel a certain kind of way. It's, again, embarrassing, how badly she wants some of them to be true. 

"She might play a very significant role in some upcoming superhero movie." Kara doesn't understand the discrete subtext of her statement, Alex can tell, doesn't get what exactly she is trying to convey here. She regards her with a pointed eyebrow before she keeps talking, more intently this time. "She'll most likely have to hit the gym for that." 

It paints an alright mental picture for Kara, Lena working out. It puts another blush on her face, too, an even deeper red now tinting her cheeks and Alex can't say that she isn't surprised, that there's someone out there who can fluster her even more than a certain other blonde, with no filter and a mind that is permanently in the gutter. And she accomplishes it without even being in the same room, without being here. It's almost endearing, the way Kara fidgets with the hem of her hoodie and tries to stutter out a reply that doesn't seem desperate as soon as she realizes what Alex is implying. 

Looking at her phone to find out why exactly fans have mentioned her in Lena's tweets even more than usually seems like a waste of time, now. Kara knows what they're requesting, what they've been requesting for a long time now, for some reason unbeknownst to both of them. Neither of them know where it came from, the want for the two of them to work together, for Kara to invite Lena to her studio, to work out with her. They make it sound so easy, as if Kara could just- 

"You'll have to tweet her, you know." It's absolutely insane, Alex's suggestion. And yet she makes a face at Kara's inability to pull herself together. 

"Are you crazy?! That's so not gonna hap-" 

She's outraged, the sheer idea of interacting with Lena, of inevitable making a fool out of herself, so out there that she can't even comprehend that it's actually being proposed. That Alex deems it to be an actual possibility. Crush aside, one does not simply tweet Lena Luthor. It's humiliating and scary and absolutely- 

Kara does. She does tweet her, just a few days later. It's short and simple and somewhat charming, even, and if it took half an hour for her to compose, if she had to send it to every single one of her friends for reassurance, then no one really needs to know that. It's the only thing the internet is good for, really, the proposition sounding easy and playful and not at all like Kara is _dying_ inside just thinking about the rejection she's surely going to face. 

Lena replying to her message, Lena simply acknowledging it in the first place both seem like equally unrealistic possibilities, and so Kara almost drops her phone as well as her water bottle when her screen clearly states that Lena Luthor has messaged her privately. It's not a scam, not a fake account or some kind of prank, like she immediately assumes, and she thinks she might die yet another time. 

The teasing and mocking is being thrown her way her as soon as she tells her friends about it. It's incredibly predictable and dull and it doesn't matter. Because she is going to meet Lena Luthor, and not even Sara propositioning her for a quicky in the changing rooms could manage to dissolve any of her excitement.

//

Kara is in the middle of a celebratory high five with Sara when Lena enters the studio for the first time. She doesn't even notice her at first, which seems impossible in retrospect, _inexcusable_ almost, if the dark-haired woman hadn't been so uncharacteristically quiet and shy. 

To her defense, Sara doesn't notice either. The smug smirk that usually seems to be plastered temporarily on those lips of hers has, for once, been replaced by a bright and much more genuine one. Lips curved upwards in pride, an expression that Kara can't help but mirror immediately. There's something so rewarding about getting to see the other woman get back on track, slowly but surely. And today's session has been nothing but yet another reminder that Sara is doing just that, slowly working her way back up to where she's left off months ago. They can barely keep themselves from hugging each other tightly when Sara manages to lift the little extra weight with such ease that victory blossoms on Kara's lips, in the form of a dimpled, bright smile. 

Her client's success never fails to elicit excitement deep within her, usually reminds her of winning a sparring match against Maggie for the first time. Oh had she been proud, almost embarrassingly so, yet definitely well-deserved. The other girl is small, and Kara almost hadn't believed it at first, but her height was nothing that her incredible technique couldn't easily make up for. It had been a great victory, but the remainders of it on her lips fade as soon as Sara halts all of her movements, discretely points into the opposite direction. There's a certain look crossing her features and suddenly Kara knows exactly what she's looking at. Who she's looking at. 

Frankly, she shouldn't be surprised after that. But knowing that Lena Luthor is standing right behind you doesn't even begin to compare with the experience that is Lena Luthor actually standing right in front of you, looking at you with a shy smile where Kara knows is usually a confident one. 

The blonde soon realizes that words are hard when in the other woman's presence. There's something so unfair about how effortlessly beautiful she looks. The fancy garments one can usually watch her pridefully stride down the red carpet in have, unsurprisingly, been discarded, replaced with much more comfortable ones, her hair in a loose ponytail. Yet she's exactly what Kara had expected, more even, the absolute embodiment of everything that the blonde adored. And if her breath comes out ragged after that, it surely has nothing to do with the way that Lena's yoga pants seem just a little too tight, hug her curves in a painfully perfect manner, or the way her shirt is just a little too low cut. 

She's intimidating, still, even dressed like this. But there's also something so incredibly disarming about her lips curving upwards in a smile that seems almost tentative. Kara can tell she's nervous, can tell she must be terribly out of her element, supposes that this definitely isn't where she feels comfortable. She also supposes that a gym probably isn't where Lena usually finds herself on a Friday night, but then again, Kara knows nothing about her, doesn't have time to think about any of this. Because just a few seconds later she finally springs into action and her feet seem to carry her over to Lena on their own accord. She figures Lena must have done the same, because suddenly they're right in front of each other and it's so, so _scary_.

The small 'hi' Kara manages to stutter out is more than just a little embarrassing, but it's nothing compared to the way that, after Lena had greeted her back, she leans in for a hug. She leans in for a friendly hug while the other woman extracts her hand for a just as friendly handshake and it's awkward, causes Kara to stutter even more when she childishly proposes her favorite way of greeting people instead. 

Kara thinks she might have died, if Lena hadn't gained some of her own confidence back, if she hadn't proceeded to chuckle softly, hadn't pulled Kara into a soft embrace. There's a blush still adorning the blonde's cheeks once they pull back, but Kara thinks she is going to die a little less when that's not the only remainder of their previous interaction, a soft smile still firmly planted on full lips. One that looks almost amused. 

She nervously runs her hand through blonde curls nonetheless and she knows that this moment definitely has the potential to turn into something even more humiliating even without Sara interfering. But it's Sara, and so Kara barely acknowledges her sudden presence, simply lets out a little groan. She knows what's about to come before the smaller woman manages to open her mouth, doesn't anticipate the mocking undertone lacing her words in the slightest. 

"Getting your hands on another woman so soon after they've been on me, huh?" She asks, all teasing and playful and Kara desperately hopes that Lena catches on, thinks she must, if the slowly forming smirk is anything to go by. It's an expression Kara can't reciprocate, too embarrassed, still. And yet she is almost certain that it's not all Sara's got in store for them. "I see how it is. And here Kendra and I were so looking forward to proposition you for a threesome." 

Somehow, for reasons Kara can't quite fathom just yet, it breaks the tension, lures a loud laugh out of the back of Lena's throat. It's beautiful, but the blonde is too busy feeling humiliated, still, feeling embarrassed and jealous all at once and she completely misses the look that Lena and Sara share, because she just _has_ to hide behind her hands, her cheeks unbearably hot. 

There's a comforting hand on her shoulder before she dares to open her eyes again, but she can tell that Sara is leaving them, light footsteps slowly carrying away. Though it's not without another stupid comment, a simple and teasing 'I'll leave you guys to it. Be safe, kiddos, use protection.', and yeah, Kara should have expected that as well. 

It takes a great deal of strength for her not to yell some pretty mean things after Sara, takes even more deep breaths for her to finally look up again. When she does, Lena is still chuckling softly, and that's a good sign, right? 

She rushes to apologize nonetheless, keeps running her hand through her hair. Nervous habit, one that seems practically impossible not to act on in a situation this thoroughly embarrassing. Sara's constant teasing is usually horrible yet charming, is something different entirely in front of Lena Luthor. The Lena Luthor. "Gosh, I'm so, so sorry, this must be a terrible first impression. Sara is just, I mean- w-we work out together and she has no filter whatsoever and I never meant to make you uncomfortable, or anything like that, really-" 

She's rambling, doesn't know how not to ramble when Lena's still looking at her like that. Uncharacteristically shy, still, but with a smirk on her lips and her eyebrows cocked in amusement. It's not as disarming, like her previous smile had been, but the soft hand that now rests on her arm aids to calm her just as well. 

"There's no need to apologize," Lena reassures her calmly, before she retracts her hand and Kara has to physically stop herself from reaching out for it again. It seems as though she's kind of lost without the steady feeling it had given her, feels hesitant and nervous despite the fact that they're literally in her studio, the place she calls home, and she has no doubts that Lena can pick up on it. "Seriously, I know how friends can be. It's quite alright."

Kara wants to protest. She doesn’t trust her voice, but she still wants to show Lena just how not alright all of this is, but then Lena’s still smiling and it makes her feel a little too alright, all of a sudden, and really, who is she to argue with something as sublime? An irrational part of her doubts that Lena has friends like this, has painted her as someone so entirely different from herself that every single thing that could potentially connect the two of them seems ridiculously unreal. And so she surrenders with an uneasy sigh and a soft shake of her head. 

“Right,” she starts nervously, bites her lower lip in what is yet another nervous habit. She almost feels guilty, because they’re so not here for this. And it’s almost impossible not to laugh at her following words, or the way she tries to induce them with a faux confidence that simply aids to make her seem even more on edge. “Do you want me to show you around?” 

It turns out to be a rather rhetorical question because they’re slowly making their way around the moderately big studio just a few seconds later, Kara pointing out all of the things she loves about the place. Her bubbly and fearless persona returns with each step they take along with each time she draws a soft chuckle out of Lena’s distracting lips, and soon she seems to be almost herself again. Still tentative, around someone like Lena, but knowing fully well that this is what she’s good at. Something that she prides herself on, even, and definitely something that aids her to not deem it a defeat, when she purposely leaves out some certain rooms or places in order not to cross paths with Sara again. She’s slowly getting bold, isn’t too keen on letting a few inappropriate innuendos ruin all of that. 

Judging by Lena’s own demeanor, Kara supposes that she’s not the only one feeling more comfortable, the dark-haired woman seeming to be significantly less tense, despite the timidity with which she approaches some of the equipment. 

It only falters ever so slightly when Kara starts to discuss different diets with her, tells Lena how she’ll have to eat from now on in order to see progress quickly. It’s nothing Lena hadn’t expected and still mourning over doughnuts turns out to be a great bonding experience for both of them. The blonde even lets it slip that she can’t resist the temptation every now and then either, blushes while admitting something she deems a dark, dark secret. Lena’s loud laugh upon hearing the admission almost makes it worth it, Kara thinks, already making plans about bringing the other woman one of the unspeakable treats soon enough. 

Talking to her like this still seems surreal to Kara and yet it puts her at ease, knowing that Lena is just human after all, shares her own affection towards sweet treats with way too many calories.

//

Lena is very clearly trying to hide the flush slowly creeping up her neck as soon as Kara announces that they’ll get started soon. Or well, now. It’s incredibly endearing but leaves Kara feeling somewhat helpless. There’s something tentative and timid in the way Lena unzips her hoodie completely, approaches Kara who has already made herself comfortable on a mat in the middle of the room. They’ll have to stretch first, after all, and Kara doesn’t understand why that seems to scare the other woman so much. She feels restless, like she has to do something, regards her with a gentle smile. She just has to ask. “Are you okay?” 

Lena’s first response is a soft hum, is her supposedly calm demeanor turning into one that is nothing but flustered, her cheeks now tinted a deep red. Kara knows she’ll have to do something to calm her down, but still thinks that it compliments Lena’s whole attire, selfishly wants the blush to stay there for a little longer. She laughs instead, suddenly, soft and not in the slightest judgmental. She’s surprised. Lena is still exactly what she had imagined her to be, but simultaneously so different that if it wasn’t for the sharp jaw and high cheekbones, the unmistakable green of her eyes, she might have not been able to recognize her. 

Her carefree expression of said surprise seems to catch Lena off guard and Kara realizes that perhaps it hadn’t sounded that non-judgemental after all. Because the dark-haired woman raises one eyebrow, struggles to appear put together, unable to cover the disappointment rushing over her features, full lips curving downwards for the shortest of moments until her expression settles stoically. It’s only when Kara jumps up and vehemently shakes her head, rushes to apologize, that Lena softens up again. 

“Oh gosh, I didn’t- I, I’m sorry. You just seem so worried, for some reason, and I don’t- are you not comfortable?” The question is genuine and Kara lets out a sigh of relief when Lena smiles at her, anxiously so. 

She shakes her head, then, before she explains herself. Cheeks still heated, still fumbling with the hem of her shirt, her gaze cast downward. “I haven’t exactly worked out in, well, in a very long time and I just-” 

Lena drifts off, doesn’t have to end her sentence for Kara to understand, for her smile to turn just that little brighter as she comes to stand in front of Lena. Pushing her own insecurities away, she reassures Lena, her hand resting on the other woman’s arm in a comforting gesture. Her words stroll into a bold chuckle as she speaks. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ll just start slow, I promise. No need to worry.” 

It’s nothing but pride, the feeling that rushes over her as soon as Lena’s tension deflates, with a little, self-encouraging nod. She can do this. “Thank you. I’m not usually as worried, I’m sorry.” 

Of course Kara is having none of it, is barely able to come to a halt once she finds herself in a reassuring ramble that, for just a few seconds, lets her forget that this is Lena Luthor standing in front of her. She’s just doing her job, helping someone who clearly needs the encouragement. A certain someone who just so happens to be very beautiful and very distracting. Even more so now that the blonde knows how adorable she can really be. 

And she keeps her promise, too, in that they go incredibly slow. Start to gradually work their way up to where they need to end up, eventually. There’s no rush, really, or at least Kara manages to make Lena feel like there isn’t. No rush, no unrealistic expectations. 

It aids Lena’s progress profoundly, lets them grow more comfortable around each other with every new day that they meet up and work on the actress’ strength. The only person that really has to say any negative things about their routine is, unsurprisingly, Sara. She’s only a little offended when she starts to realize just how gently Kara works with Lena, helps her wherever she can in a way that is so unlike the mocking banter that the two of them constantly have. 

It’s when she walks in on one of their cardio sessions that Sara finally says something, cheeky grin already plastered on her lips, as she points into Lena’s direction. Kara is glad that she doesn’t comment on the way she’s been watching the other woman, finds herself rolling her eyes nonetheless as soon as Sara opens her mouth. “Oh so with her you go slow? Like, actually slow? While you torture me with all of those strength building exercises on a daily basis? That’s not fair, Danvers.” 

Kara’s nervous glance towards Lena’s direction or the way her cheeks heat up doesn’t go unnoticed, but then Maggie arrives to save her from having to come up with a just as teasing answer, but also makes the situation a whole lot worse, with one of her bland comments. 

“It’s because she’s crushing hard on Lena, Lance!” Maggie makes it sound so obvious and all Kara can do is pray that she is actually being more obscure than that. It’s the last thing she wants Lena to know about, really, and- she’s looking right at her. Kara tries to silence her sister’s girlfriend with a violent jab to the ribs, but Lena has heard already and it seems to spur Maggie on even more, that devious gleam in her eyes intensifying. Of course she keeps going. “I mean, seriously, haven’t you noticed the way she’s literally thirsting after those-” 

“After the success!!!” Kara yells, loud enough for it to drown out any of Maggie’s inappropriate thoughts and in such a ridiculous manner, almost panicked, that all of them burst out into laughter less than a second later, including Lena. It’s the latter that makes Kara want to hide yet another time, but she somehow manages to shoo the others away instead. That this in itself might be an even worse idea entirely only occurs to Kara once she’s alone with Lena, has to endure that smug smirk all by herself. She swears that Sara and Maggie are slowly rubbing off on her, hasn’t quite decided whether that is something she likes or not. 

It’s, however, kind of inevitable. Because the two of them start to become a distinct part of their routine, at one point. A few times a week Lena will come over to the studio, they’ll work out, work on Lena’s strength as well as cardio, learn more about each other until Lena smoothly drifts into the ‘friend’ category. And then Sara and Maggie, sometimes even Lucy, will show up. They’ll tease them relentlessly, much to Kara’s dismay, won’t stop until Lena bursts out into a fit of laughter or they think that Kara might actually _die_ of embarrassment. Only then they’ll actually allow the blonde to throw them out of the studio, the victorious smiles never leaving their lips. 

A very big and very humiliated part of Kara wants to be mad at them, but the rational part of her knows that, in a way, all of their playful banter has helped ease Lena into all of this. They make her laugh, almost as much as Kara does, and despite their constant mocking, they also compliment her greatly, acknowledge how hard she is working as well as all of the progress she has made already. In the end Kara can’t really blame them at all, for slowly pulling Lena into their friend group, for making her a part of their dynamic. 

It’s so incredibly rewarding, to see how Lena grows more comfortable each day. Still out of her element, but so much more willing and motivated to improve, on a daily basis. Though it’s only when Maggie takes a video of a small part of her routine and forces both Lena and Kara to post it on their social media that all of her hesitation and insecurity dissolves completely. 

It’s nothing but a short glimpse of what Lena is working on, but it successfully lets everyone know that Lena is, in fact, starting to buff up for a new movie. And even more importantly that Lena and Kara are, in fact, working together. It’s something that has their fans ecstatic, though they mostly try to ignore all of the somewhat inappropriate comments telling them that they should ‘totally be a couple’ or, even more embarrassingly so, that they should ‘totally bang’.

But with that also come a lot of comments praising Lena, some that are genuinely surprised by her incredibly fast progress, some that state that they admire her even more now. It’s exactly the kind of encouragement and that last push that Lena needs, Kara thinks, when the other woman gives her absolute best when they train the next time. When the smile that Kara has plastered onto her lips earlier that particular day stays there firmly even when beads of sweat try to wash it away.

//

They work their way up to meeting five times a week a lot quicker than either of them could have anticipated, in their perfect routine that just seems to work. Lena blames it on Kara’s abilities alone, on the way she’s always so understanding and caring and, most importantly, motivating. The latter simply brushes it off with an exaggerated hand motion and a bright blush that she knows never goes unnoticed by Lena. Or any of their friends. 

She herself blames it on how amazing Lena is instead. How strong and determined Kara knows she is, despite the many times that the other woman brushes it off just like Kara usually does. They eventually agree to disagree, their playful banter accompanied by something that Sara would call flirting, that Kara calls her embarrassing attempts of trying to flatter the other woman instead. 

Maggie picks up on it just as fast as Sara does, the subtle shift in their relationship, the sudden ability of Kara to not only stutter in front of beautiful women, but to actually do something too. It doesn’t matter how terrible her efforts are, not when they turn _The_ Lena Luthor into a blushing mess all the same. It’s what she currently teases her about, despite the constant threat of fists hitting faces, the two of them having found themselves in yet another sparring match in the ring. Kara has improved, even more so now that crushing on her new found friend meant she had to put all of that energy somewhere, but still Maggie swerves all of her hits with such ease and precision that the blonde almost doesn’t hear Lena entering the studio, a little too early. 

Almost. Because Lena’s voice, admittedly, does things to Kara. Unspeakable things. Things that she definitely shouldn’t be thinking about while sparring her sister’s girlfriend and trying to stay alive. She almost loses her balance and has to take a hard hit when she hears Lena greet Jess at the register, chuckles softly when she hears the latter warn Lena, ask something along the lines of ‘are you sure you want to go in there?’. Jess knows how competitive they are, knows they’d rather go K.O., even in such a relaxed setting, than to give up and deem the other the better fighter. But Lena enters the room either way and Kara doubles her efforts. She’s not quite sure why she feels compelled to present her strength in such a way, when she knows Lena is watching, but she feels almost smug when her next punch sends Maggie stumbling backwards. 

It’s how she ends up winning, too, taking advantage of that momentary loss of control and following it up with some more hits that Maggie can’t possibly shield. Kara simply grins when the other woman ends up on the floor, smiling back all the same. Though her smugness falters soon after, when Maggie gets up again, congratulates Kara and glances towards Lena, winks at her in a way that would suggest she might have let Kara win. 

“I think someone quite liked the show you were putting up,” Maggie muses, quietly so only Kara can hear her. She knows the blonde will give it away either way, never able to conceal just how flustered she is. Kara’s explanation for Lena’s blown out pupils and the way she’s biting her lip is equally obscure, a miserably failed attempt of trying to convince Maggie that Lena may simply be ‘into the sport itself’. 

Maggie’s reply is a simple and mocking snort, another wink directed towards Lena, before she leaves with an amused “don’t worry, she’s all yours now”.

Another embarrassingly low blow that leaves both of them blushing and grinning at each other like fools, before Kara springs into action and takes off her boxing gloves, drinks some water and tells Lena that they can start whenever she’s ready. Though Lena doesn’t quite get Kara’s nonchalance, considering how spectacularly she had just beaten Maggie, and unlike the blonde, she definitely wants to dwell on the subject. 

“Wow, that was impressive.” It’s exactly the reaction Kara had instinctively striven for, and yet she struggles to come up with a reply that isn’t humiliating, that doesn’t give away how on edge Lena’s compliments make her feel. 

“Pssh that? That was nothing,” Kara mumbles, shrugs it off with an exaggerated hand motion and an expression that lures a loud, affectionate laugh out of Lena. 

“You’re adorably unaware of how amazing you are.”

//

It’s merely a few days later when their dynamic seems to shift yet another time, unexpectedly so. In a way that Kara couldn’t have anticipated, in a way that she doesn’t like in the slightest. 

Their training sessions had started to become even longer, had started to include even more laughter and flirting and more of that playful banter that everyone in the studio seems to love so much. The professional part of their relationship had started to become even smaller, while their friendship had grown beautifully, into something more. Almost. Their routine had been perfect, Lena had made incredible progress and Maggie had recorded it all with her camera, had kept their fans updated. 

So Kara isn’t quite sure exactly what has changed when Lena shows up one day, without that bright smile of hers that usually blossoms as soon as she lays eyes on Kara, and with that serious side of her showing, the one that usually melts away whenever they’re alone. The gentle hug they greet each other with seems to be painfully short that particular day, too, and overall Lena seems distant, seems cold and almost as timid and insecure as when she had first stepped into the studio, unsure of what to expect. 

The blonde doesn’t say anything, at first, supposes that everyone has bad days every now and then, but when the other woman’s motivation seems to falter and her encouragement and urging on only meets a wall of annoyance, Kara breaks. 

“What is it?” She asks softly, doesn’t know Lena well enough to know whether she likes to talk about these kind of things or not. She chooses her words wisely, lets them out in such a gentle manner that she believes they could never upset Lena. They do, apparently, because Lena’s expression hardens and her whole body tenses up notably. 

“Nothing.” 

Just another way of saying that she doesn’t want to talk about it. Not with Kara, anyways, and it’s almost ridiculous how intensely this one, cold word affects her. And so she pushes, carefree and tender, because it’s what she does, caring about people, wanting to help, always. 

She thinks that maybe their sometimes opposite demeanors don’t compliment each other that perfectly after all, when Lena gets up, all of a sudden, asks Kara not to be as nosey, and it’s a rather dire revelation. 

“I need a break.” It’s all she mumbles stoically, her own gaze avoiding Kara’s at all costs. She doesn’t see the obvious hurt in them and when Kara runs her hand through her hair, puts on her boxing gloves and proceeds to abuse a punching bag, she isn’t there to see that either. 

It’s almost inevitable for Kara not to feel angry, not to feel confused, for her to not blame herself. She’s not sure what she has done to upset Lena, wishes she could take it back either way.   
Because the dark-haired woman doesn’t show up for a while after that and it’s getting increasingly harder to ignore her friends’ attempts of trying to cheer her up, of trying to come up with explanations for what happened. For once she does not want to talk about it, rejects even Alex and merely glares at Sara when she goes with her usual strategy, a mocking comment that is supposed to make Kara laugh, causes her to grit her teeth and clench her jaw instead. 

And so it almost feels surreal when Lena shows up again a few days later, on one of her rest days. She’s not supposed to be there and Kara supposes that judging by the way she is nervously trying to keep her eyes focused on the floor, she feels almost bad for staring at Kara’s abs flexing deliciously, with every punch she throws at the innocent punching bag. 

“What are you doing here?” Kara asks, doesn’t dare look at her just yet, not when she’s still this angry. Instead she keeps punching, violently so. “It’s your day off.” 

There’s no reply except for a sigh, one that is laced with guilt, Kara believes, and so she looks up after a while. It’s clear that Lena is uncomfortable, the way she’s fumbling with her own fingers much like Kara herself usually does telling the blonde that she’s most likely here to apologize, to talk. Though she doesn’t get to ask another question, doesn’t even get to wait if perhaps Lena will end up making the first move after all, when Alex interrupts their quiet moment, for better or worse, Krypto in tow. The dog immediately launches himself at Kara and in between dog kisses she barely manages to introduce the two of them, hoping that Alex will keep her own anger at bay. 

“Lena, this is Alex, my sister,” she mumbles, her voice barely cutting through the loaded and tense atmosphere. She points at the two of them instead, cuddles Krypto and uses the comfort it gives her as some kind of anchor. “Alex, Lena.”

They politely shake hands and greet each other, but it’s almost painfully polite and so Kara can’t stop herself from speaking up yet again. 

“And this is Krypto,” she grins lightheartedly, lights up completely when she notes that it seem to cheer the other woman up. She doesn’t even have it in herself to feel embarrassed when Lena then proceeds to smirk, something almost challenging in the way she raises one eyebrow. 

“You called your dog Krypto?” Lena chuckles and Kara feels a lot lighter, all of a sudden. A single sound so beautiful and relieving that even her instinctive pout is unable to hide how content it makes her feel, to see Lena laugh again. 

“Hey!” It’s nothing but a playful attempt to defend herself and her choices, but Lena is already holding her hands up in surrender while Alex watches their interaction with narrowed eyes and a knowing smirk on her lips.

“It’s fine, I might be a little bit of a nerd myself.” And just like that the tension breaks, for the shortest of moments, though the reason that Lena showed up there in the first place still seems to stand between them and it is after yet another few unbearable seconds of silence that Kara finally regards Lena with something more than a teasing comment, a way to make all of this a little more bearable.

“Uhh you came here to talk, right?” She tries nervously, exhales a relieved sigh when Lena smiles softly and nods. “I have to go on a walk with Krypto, so- I mean, if you wanted to… to join us-”

“I’d love to.” And just like that Lena sounds like herself again. 

Kara shares a tense look with Alex before she redoes her ponytail and puts on a hoodie, one that is more suited to go out in public than the tight sports bra she had worn before, the one that had almost caused Lena to blush. Her lips curve upwards at the thought and she hugs Alex, telling her that, unfortunately, Maggie is still under the shower. Though when her sister replies with a simple and rather sly “I was hoping you’d say that” and is already in the midst of unbuttoning her shirt, Kara makes sure to leave the building as quickly as possible.

The cool afternoon air is sharp, hits them violently as soon as they leave the building and then engulfs them completely. Krypto is happily strolling along next to them, fallen and colorful leaves crunch gently underneath their boots, their worry hangs like a dark cloud above them, and yet all Kara can think about is how incredibly adorable Lena looks, in her long coat, wrapped up in a thick scarf, the tip of her nose tinted a warm pink. Just like her cheeks. The last few days forgotten, the way Lena had stormed off nothing but a distant memory, nothing that this moment can’t fix. The seemingly impending doom lies thick and heavy in the air around them, still, the tense wonder of who is going to break first. It’s Lena, despite the way Kara is already smiling thanks to the cozy imagery right in front of her, and the blonde thinks it might be on accord of her own, bashful feelings. 

“I’m sorry,” she begins, apologizes in such a genuine way that neither of them mind that their arms keep brushing against each other. They relish the warmth it gives them instead, and Kara immediately shakes her head in a reassuring gesture. “I shouldn’t have- I just…” 

Kara should be used to this version of Lena by now, but it’s still unreal to see her struggle like this. To see her struggle to do such mundane things as speak, while she can do all sort of things in Kara’s mind, with such ease that everyone would be jealous. She lets Lena’s sentence drift off in a respectful manner, knows that there’s more to come, waits patiently as they keep walking. 

“You didn’t read the comments, did you?” Lena is asking for something more than that, clearly, and she sighs when Kara’s only response is a confused shake of her head. Another sigh combined with a deep breath, before she seemingly builds up enough courage and proceeds with a voice much more confident. “I shouldn’t let them get to me, really. It’s- it doesn’t make any sense, you know? Not to brag or anything, but I’ve gotten quite a lot of comments, from all kinds of people, in the past and-” 

“You’re allowed to brag,” Kara interrupts, states firmly. Her face lights up a little when Lena tilts her head in confusion and a soft chuckle escapes her mouth all on its own. “You’re allowed to brag. I mean, how many awards did you win again?” 

It’s not the point, really, they both know. And yet Kara’s carefree demeanor and her little joke once again calm them both down profoundly, until Lena decides not to dwell on the subject and keeps explaining herself. She takes Kara’s hand, with a sense of apprehension that doesn’t quite add up with the way she playfully pushes the blonde to the side. A mischievous punishment for her almost teasing question. 

“As I said, I get quite a lot of comments on social media, which is why I usually don’t go on there at all. But, it’s- with all of the videos of me working out and, well, let’s just say that there are quite a lot of people calling me ‘too chubby’ for the role, or ‘not strong enough’ and-” She comes to a sudden halt, looks up at Kara for comfort and frowns when she finds nothing but disbelief instead. 

“You’re insecure.” It’s a statement more than a question and Kara hopes it doesn’t come off as rude, when she suddenly starts chuckling in the midst of her thoughts, shakes her head in doubt. 

“What?” It’s sharp, and Kara immediately squeezes Lena’s hand.

“I just, I didn’t exactly think that someone like you could be insecure. You know, someone so…” Kara’s assumption is so endearingly naive that Lena doesn’t find it in herself to question those words. The blonde doesn’t have to finish the sentence for that her implications are so clear, are barely hidden by her goofy smile. _Someone so perfect_.

Lena lets it slide, but she doesn’t say anything else either. The silence isn’t as uncomfortable this time, allows them to properly breathe instead, and yet Kara has the urge to clear some things up. Things that seem incredibly obvious to her, things she is now starting to realize might be a bit harder for Lena herself to see. 

“You know they’re wrong, right?” she asks, though the question in itself is more of yet another reassurance that they definitely aren’t. Kara can’t even begin to explain how wrong they are exactly, knows she won’t find the right words to explain just how perfect Lena is, in every sense of the word. Almost painfully so. And even though she tries not to act upon her sudden protectiveness, she still feels as though making Lena smile again is everything that she should be striving for. “You are kind of incredible. And you shouldn’t listen to them, I- seriously, do I have to show you all of your progress videos again? In order for you to believe it?” 

Kara doesn’t know if she actually manages to make Lena smile again, if she might have been able to draw a soft chuckle out of her, a tender laugh or a mocking quirk of her eyebrow, because the other woman is suddenly _everywhere_. Lena pulls her closer, into a tight hug that seems to convey all of her emotions just right. It only gets better when Krypto somehow manages to squeeze himself in between the two of them, and bursting out into laughter suddenly seems inevitable. 

“See, Krypto agrees with me,” Kara hums, flashes Lena a bright smile. 

The latter shakes her head in amusement, raises her eyebrows and eyes Krypto adoringly. “I think he’s just jealous.”

“I can’t blame him, that hug was pretty scandalous.”

//

Kara is beautifully unaware of everything that is going on, up until the point that she arrives at the studio the next morning. Something feels off when she sees all of her friends animatedly gossip about something, all hushed voices and immature giggles. Though it’s only when she gets closer and hears what exactly it is that they’re talking about, that her stomach churns and her cheeks heat up.

“Lena Luthor spotted holding hands with personal trainer Kara Danvers. Are they gal pals or are they more? Has working out lead to some even steamier exercises between the two-” 

It’s then that Maggie nudges Sara, rather violently, in order to make her aware that the subject of said article has just arrived and is studying them with wide, confused eyes. It’s also then that Kara notices the newspaper in Sara’s hand, that she acknowledges the whole thing for what it is, not some stupid prank from one of her friends, but a rather lewd piece of literature about the two of them. Kara knows, rationally, that it had always been inevitable, for the bigger Magazines to pick up on what their fans had started to see a long time ago. A lot of chemistry paired with them finally working together something that drew a lot of attention towards them, and yet Kara clenches her jaw when she snitches the paper out of Sara’s hand and takes her first looks at the pictures adorning the front page. Pictures of her and Lena, holding hands and hugging in the park. 

Her first instinct is to be mad at herself, about not having noticed the paparazzi. The second is to be mad at them instead, at them and whoever is truly responsible for this article. Though all she really has the capacity to do is glare at her still smirking friends. “What is this??” 

The words are clearly intended to sound angry, but they come out as a nervous shriek instead. The obvious horrification added to Kara’s red cheeks conveying exactly what she feels like; embarrassed. Flustered. There are many words she herself could come up with to describe the frustration rushing over her in waves, but she soon finds that there are no words she has left for her friends, when they seem to be unable to pull themselves together as soon as Lena enters the studio. 

It’s the nonchalance in Lena’s demeanor that causes Kara to feel even more nervous, that causes her to worry her bottom lip between her teeth. Clearly Lena is still basking in her blessed ignorance, the one Kara herself had been relishing up until just a few minutes ago. Though of course their stares and smirks and the clear uncertainty in all of the previous actions give them away immediately. They’re mainly why Lena then furrows her eyebrows and eyes all of them suspiciously. 

“What is it?” she asks, certainly unfazed by Maggie’s snickering and the way they’re all so obviously uncomfortable in whatever situation they have found themselves in. 

It’s, unsurprisingly, Kara who gives in first. With a loud sigh and her eyes cast downwards. “You haven’t read the article yet, have you?”

Kara is almost afraid of Lena’s reaction, doesn’t want to be one of the reasons for the other woman’s insecurities, for the way that the media talks about her. She doesn’t want her to feel even more discouraged, doesn’t want their previous talk to have been ruined by some stupid paparazzi and some equally as stupid reporters. Kara’s on the verge of simply grabbing the paper and shoving it into Lena’s hands when the dark haired woman laughs loudly, the carefree sound enough to get rid of the unbearable tension in the room. 

“Oh no, I have. It’s just that I don’t necessarily care about what they have to say.” And this, Kara thinks, this is the Lena she had always imagined in her mind. Strong and powerful and unfazed about whatever anyone has to say about her, so sure in herself that not even articles like this could throw her off guard. And then that damn eyebrow raise, directed towards Kara, in a way that is almost smug. Definitely teasing. “Do you?” 

Kara struggles to come up with a reply right away, is still blushing, still flustered, and their intense eye contact definitely isn’t helping. Not in the slightest. Makes her nervous in an entirely different manner. Yet she manages to shake her head softly, manages to mumble a soft “no, of course not”. 

And with that, it seems to be settled.

For now, at least. Because Kara might be terribly optimistic most of the time, but she would definitely never doubt the ability of her friends to make this as awkward as possible, for both of them. She really doesn’t have faith in that ever not happening, with the teasing smirks already so apparent on their foul mouths. 

“You don’t feel the need to abuse that poor punching bag again, do you?” Lena asks when Kara is still blushing after a while and despite the blonde’s disdain, it causes all of her friends to laugh. She doesn’t even have it in herself to glare at them, not when they seem to like Lena just as much as she does.

The mention of boxing, however, reminds her of something else. Something that she had wanted to try, after she had seen Lena admire her technique the day before. When she had walked in on her and Maggie sparring, too. And so her face lights up, all of a sudden, and she jumps up before any of her friends can continue their mind-numbing teasing. Lena’s confused expression when she returns just a few seconds later and shoves a pair of boxing gloves into those graceful hands of hers doesn’t go unnoticed, but she simply grins in return. 

“Kara, I don’t think-“ 

But there’s no rejecting Kara’s ideas, not when she’s this enthusiastic already. And so the blonde shakes her head vehemently, pulls Lena towards the ring with that same, carefree grin still on her lips. “Nope, we’re so doing this. This whole working out thing needs to be fun, after all, right?”

It’s an argument that she knows Lena can’t argue with, and after her previous insecurities and lack of motivation, Kara thinks that a little fun in the form of boxing might be exactly the kind of distraction that they both need. 

//

Kara thinks Lena might be a natural considering how fast she ends up learning the basics of boxing, with an ease that the blonde almost envies. It’s impressive how quickly she seems to get the hang of it, despite Lena’s initial insecurities and inhibitions about it all, and Kara makes sure to remind her on a daily basis, after each and every one of their sessions.

Though it’s only when they make it a regular thing, practice after every day of working out, that Lena slowly becomes aware of her own abilities. And it’s more than just technical, too, shifts their dynamic yet another time, makes them smile and joke and becomes the fun that had been lacking the entire time. It turns out that there is no such thing as a bad workout when they get to unwind with a few punches afterwards, causes especially Lena to relax and not to worry as much as she used to. It’s exactly what had been missing from their routine, and of course getting to see each other in nothing but shorts and a tight sports bra is just another added bonus, one that reveals itself to be more distracting than either of them could have anticipated. One that regularly turns Kara into a blushing mess, much to everyone’s amusement.

Though it is after an especially successful day in the gym that Lena finally loses all of her reticence and her confidence seems to take over completely. It’s after some flirtatious banter that she very smugly challenges Kara to a duel. Apparently sick of the one-sidedness of their practice and a decision that she’d rather see Kara in action, too, it’s the next logical thing to ask for. 

“Are you sure?” Kara asks, a mixture of excitement and concern laced into the words themselves. She doesn’t want to hurt Lena, but the other woman is already looking at her with a cocky smirk on her lips and Kara knows that she is doomed. There’s no arguing with that expression on Lena’s face and she knows it. If there is anything that Lena _lives_ , it’s determination.

“Am I sure?” Lena repeats in an almost mocking way, raises her eyebrows and keeps grinning at the blonde in front of her. Despite the banter she is already bandaging her hands and getting ready, with another challenging look directed towards Kara. “What? Are you scared?” 

It’s provocative for a reason, both of them knowing that Lena doesn’t stand a chance. But her offer is intriguing enough that Kara shakes her head in amusement, a dimpled smile blossoming on her lips. “Alright, I guess I have no choice.” 

And so they find themselves in the ring merely a few seconds later, wearing matching grins and a faux competitiveness that they both know isn’t necessary in this setting. Kara starts slow, lets Lena attack and plays a rather passive part herself, mostly defending herself while she treats Lena to some hits. Only after a few punches does she allow herself to strike back, carefully but hard enough that she can easily force Lena into a corner. And she’s being especially pompous as well, so overly and very intentionally pleased with herself in order to provoke and motivate Lena as much as possible. 

It’s fun, too, to see her try so hard and know that she’d succeed incredibly, if she was fighting against someone else. There’s something so powerful and rewarding about the way she can play with Lena in this context, makes her feel incredibly more smug. The cocky grin never leaves her lips, intensifies even when she finally decides to have even more fun and trap Lena between the side of the ring and herself, braces her hands on either side of the other woman in order to show her superiority off even more.

Something shifts notably in that one moment, when their eyes lock, their gazes meet intensely while they’re both still grinning, while Lena almost feels intimidated. Kara, too, the moment so tense and fragile that even something as simple as their heavy breathing seems to be able to break it, adds to it instead. Kara foolishly, naively has her eyes closed already and it’s electrifying, both of their hearts beating so incredibly fast as they slowly move closer and closer-

“Ahh, I see the gal-pals are having fun.” Sara. Of course. So mocking, her voice dripping with amusement, that Kara almost wants to turn around and punch that sly smirk off of her face. She’s not one to advocate violence, really, but she’s already wearing her boxing gloves anyways, she is already warmed up. It seems like quite the great idea, if she’s being completely honest. 

Instead, Kara groans loudly, squeezes her eyes shut and lets her head rest against Lena’s shoulder for a few very long second before she manages to pull herself together and backs off, her cheeks seemingly redder than they’ve ever been before. 

“What do you want?” she asks Sara, obviously both annoyed and humiliated, as well as very close to jumping the other girl’s throat. 

“Well, I was just gonna say hi and see how the whole boxing thing is going, but I see you two have been otherwise occupied.” Again, Kara can barely stand that damn cheeky grin. Sara knew all along and this is her own personal torture, one that is definitely worse than the inevitable ‘I told you so’-talk. 

The blonde is so quick to answer, so incredibly quick to deny everything with a loud shriek, that even Lena has to chuckle at the undeniable lie, despite her own embarrassment. “We weren’t!” 

“Right, that’s why you’re so out of breath.” 

“We…” It’s supposed to be another one of Sara’s sly comments, but Kara really can’t stop herself from taking a deep breath and shaking her head in disbelief, right before she yells after the already leaving blonde, Lena’s chuckle in the background something that is not supporting her argument. “We were _boxing_ , Sara! Do you know what that does to ones body?!” 

//

It’s not at all surprising when every single one of their friends seems to know about their very humiliating encounter, just one day later. Almost no time had passed and yet Sara had somehow managed to tell everyone about what exactly she had walked in on, the two of them having been so close to kissing and, in Sara’s story, already practically humping each other. Her very livid way of telling the story and her even more imaginative way on interpreting the whole situation doesn’t aid to reduce any of their teasing. 

It becomes somewhat of an essential joke around the studio as well and whenever Kara and Lena announce that they’re about to go boxing, they can be sure to expect yet another “boxing, huh? So that’s what the kids call it these days?”. 

Although it starts to get really boring really fast, and so the two of them start to simply ignore any of their friends’ attempts to rile them up and focus on Lena’s progress instead. Another thing that doesn’t turn out to be as easy as anticipated, sweaty skin and indecent memories of a moment just as indecent simply intensifying the sheer tension that builds between the two of them with every hit. 

At one point it starts to become unbearable to resist the temptation and Kara swears that Lena might have stolen her own tactic, is slowing down profoundly, allows the blonde to play an even more dominant part in their little game. Kara believes she must do it on purpose, is sure of her assumption when Lena’s grin widens as soon as she is being backed up against the wall yet again.   
And there’s that challenging look in her eyes, too, practically daring Kara to kiss her. 

She does. 

Lena’s lips are soft, taste of salt when Kara eventually runs her tongue over them. Of sweat, of all of the hard work, all of the progress and so, so sweet. Kara has to steady herself by gently holding onto Lena’s waist, then loses herself in the experience. It’s incredibly perfect, not at all how Kara had pictured it in her head so many times, but infinitely better. She’s sure that she wouldn’t have noticed if Sara had once again interrupted them in the midst of it all, is still thankful that she doesn’t. It’s almost comical, the way she immediately studies the space around them as soon as they break apart, almost expecting Sara to stand there with that damn smirk still adorning her lips. 

She even wonders if perhaps Sara has actively made the choice to let them have this moment, can’t think about it further when Lena is still looking at her like _that_ , is already pulling her in for another kiss that is even sweeter. 

When Maggie enters the room a while later, to record yet another video for their social media accounts, the two of them have parted already. Are still grinning goofily, are still full with all of those giddy feelings and can’t stop stealing a kiss every now and then, in between punches and flirtatious banter. Of course they make sure that the other woman doesn’t notice, and yet even the video of the two of them practicing itself shows just how comfortable with each other the two of them have grown to be. And if the way Lena can’t quite keep her own gaze from drifting down to Kara’s abs just so happens to be very evident on camera, then surely no one is going to notice. Right? 

Wrong. 

Everyone does, pretty much all of the incoming comments regarding their very obvious sexual tension and the one question of whether the two of them are dating yet, one that everyone mutually agrees can only have a confident ‘yes’ as an answer. 

It’s after this particular work out session that the two of them find themselves sitting across from each other in a small, cozy coffee shop around the corner, unable to separate just yet. Their new found ways of showing affection, of expressing just how much they mean to each other lies in the air around them, makes them feel almost as warm as Krypto’s soft fur as he rests on their feet under the table, adding to the atmosphere and painting an almost painfully domestic scene. One that they both seem to enjoy thoroughly, literally unable to get rid of the content smiles that have blossomed on their lips once that they have softly lingered against each other for the first time. Slow and steady, so unlike the frantic beating of their hearts. 

It’s also then that Kara’s phone vibrates yet another time and reminds them of just how many people think that they are, in fact, a couple. Reminds them that, eventually, they’ll have to make a statement about that, too. And while Kara isn’t quite certain how to bring it up, a simple comment of her own seems to do just fine. “So, I guess everyone seems to think that there is something going on between us.” 

It’s said in a joking manner more than anything, perhaps a unconscious choice that Kara makes whenever she wants to protect herself from possibly getting hurt, or rejected in this case. There’s a moment of relief when, instead, Lena smiles and reaches across the table to take Kara’s hand, a gesture so reassuring that Kara thinks she might die of happiness at any moment now. 

“Let them.”

//

When they do come out to the entire world just a few weeks later, with a lot of encouragement from their friends, it’s with a simple photograph on Kara’s Instagram. Sara’s idea. A picture of Lena towards the end of her transformation, merely weeks before she starts filming her movie, with a mischievous caption that plainly states: “That moment when your girlfriend is starting to be buffer than you.” followed up with a clearly teasing eyeroll emoji. 

Though when Lena openly responds with a just as teasing “you love it”, for the whole world to see, Kara really can’t deny that.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments are highly appreciated! 
> 
> Let me know what you think :)


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